Protective Head Guard Insert

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are various embodiments of apparatuses and methods related to a protective head guard insert for players of a game, such as, for example, baseball, softball, etc., to reducing an impact to the head from a moving object. The protective head guard insert comprises a rigid curved form having a padding material for inserting into a side of a hat to be worn by a player. The head guard insert is made of a material including a combination of carbon fiber and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide (i.e., Kevlar®) composite.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority to the copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application titled “Inside the Hat, Carbon Fiber and Kevlar Head Guard for Baseball Pitchers” filed on Mar. 27, 2014, assigned application No. 61/971,002, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Sports players are prone to traumatic head and brain injury caused by the impact of a moving object (i.e., a baseball, a softball, a puck, etc.) hitting a player's head. For example, during a game, pitchers typically wear a standard baseball hat which lacks protection to the head in the unfortunate event of the pitcher being hit by a batted ball. However, a batted ball may hit a pitcher's head before a pitcher is able to complete the pitch, position in a defensive motion, and/or react to the incoming batted ball. Current protective head guards comprise a thick material which is heavy and/or bulky. The unnecessary weight of current protective head guards may not only be uncomfortable and/or be unappealing to a player, the weight can also affect the player's performance.

SUMMARY

Included are various embodiments of apparatuses and methods related to protective head guard inserts. One embodiment of an apparatus, among others, includes a protective head guard insert, comprising an elongated curved member having a size and a shape to enable placement along an interior side region of a crown portion of a hat, the elongated curved member comprising a combination of carbon fiber and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide composites, and a padding affixed to a concave face of the elongated curved member.

Another embodiment of an apparatus, among others, includes an elongated rigid member having a size and a shape to enable placement within an interior side portion of a hat such that the interior side portion of the hat substantially surrounds an exterior side of the elongated rig id member, the elongated rigid member comprising a dimpled pattern protruding outwardly from the exterior side of the elongated rigid member, and a padding secured to an interior side of the elongated rigid member.

Another embodiment of an apparatus, among others, includes an apparatus for protecting a pitcher from batted balls, the apparatus comprising a hat, a protective head guard positioned within an interior side region of the hat such that a first side of the protective head guard is disposed along a curvature of the interior side region of the hat, and a foam material affixed to a second side of the protective head guard, wherein at least a portion of the protective head guard comprises a combination of carbon fibers and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide composites, and wherein the first side of the protective head guard comprises a dimpled pattern such that energy is dispersed about the dimpled pattern upon an impact of a moving object.

Other embodiments, systems, methods, features, and advantages of this disclosure will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional apparatuses, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description and be within the scope of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1A is a drawing of an example of a front view of a protective head guard insert according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a drawing of an example of a back view the protective head guard insert of FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a drawing of example of a front view of a protective head guard insert according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2B is a drawing of an example of a back view of the protective head guard insert of FIG. 2A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a drawing of an example of a perspective view of the protective head guard insert of FIGS. 1A and 1B inserted into a baseball hat according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a drawing of an example of a perspective view of the protective head guard insert of FIGS. 2A and 2B inserted into a baseball hat according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a drawing of an example of a perspective view of two protective head guard inserts of FIGS. 2A and 2B inserted into a baseball hat according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating one example of a method of manufacturing of the protective head guard insert of FIGS. 1A-5 in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following discussion, a general description of apparatuses and methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided, followed by a discussion of the operation of the same. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a lightweight head guard insert for sports players (i.e., pitchers) who typically wear standard baseball hats which offer minimal protection from an impact of a a moving object (i.e., a batted ball) to the head. More specifically, disclosed herein are novel approaches to the implementation of a lightweight head guard insert that is designed to comfortably fit within a hat worn by a player and reduce the likelihood and/or severity of head and/or brain injury caused from an impact of a moving object (i.e., batted ball). Specifically, the head guard insert may provide a high level of injury reduction due to the use of carbon fiber and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide (Kevlar®) composites and a dimpled pattern for dispersing the energy from the impact of a moving object.

Additionally, the head guard insert is designed to provide only the necessary coverage of a player's head to minimize the amount of weight added by the insert which could affect the player's performance. For example, when a left handed pitcher pitches a ball, the left side of his head is at greater risk of being hit from a batted ball than the right side of head since a pitcher's body typically turns to the right during completion of a pitch, thereby exposing the left side of the pitcher's head to a batted ball. Conversely, when a right-handed pitcher pitches a ball, the right side of his head is at greater risk of being hit by a batted ball. Accordingly, a left handed pitcher may choose to use a head guard insert on the left side of his head, while a right-handed pitcher may choose to position a head guard insert on the right side of this head. However, a head guard insert designed for the right side and a head guard insert designed for the left side may both be used to provide extra protection, if desired.

Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, shown are drawings of examples of a front view and a back view of a head guard insert 10 a, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The head guard insert 10 a comprises a rigid arc-shaped form comprising an exterior side 12 a and an interior side 14 a (FIG. 1B). The head guard insert 10 a further comprises one or more dimpled patterns 16 that protrude from the exterior side 12 a of the head guard insert 10 a. The one or more dimpled patterns 16 are designed to minimize the contact point on the head by dispersing energy upon the impact of a moving object on the head guard insert 10 a. While the one or more dimpled patterns 16 shown in FIG. 1A comprises a cross pattern, the one or more dimpled patterns 16 may comprise any sort of dimpled pattern such that the energy generated from the impact of a moving object on the head guard insert 10 a is dispersed allowing for a reduction in the likelihood and/or severity of head and/or brain injury caused from an impact of a moving object (i.e., batted baseball).

As shown in FIG. 1B, the head guard insert 10 a further comprises a padding material 18 affixed to the interior side 14 a of the head guard insert 10 a. In some embodiments, the padding material 18 may comprise a pattern similar to the one or more dimpled patterns 16. In some embodiments, the padding material 18 may be disposed within the recessed portion of the head guard insert 10 a that corresponds to the one or more dimpled patterns 16 protruding from the exterior side 12 a of the head guard insert 10 a. In other embodiments, the padding material 18 may be a solid form. However, in a preferred embodiment, the padding material 18 is a dimpled pattern to provide extra protection by dispersing energy upon impact.

The padding material 18 extends from about one side end of the head guard insert 10 a along the arc-length to about the other side end of the head guard insert 10 a. In some embodiments, the padding material 18 does not extend to a bottom portion of the head guard insert 10 a. For example, as shown in FIG. 1B, the padding material 18 is not shown on the bottom portion of the head guard insert 10 a. The bottom portion of the head guard insert 10 a is a portion of the head guard insert 10 a that is positioned within a lining of a hat. Accordingly, the lack of the padding material 18 at inserted portion of the head guard insert 10 a may provide for easier and more insertion into the hat lining.

Turning now to FIGS. 2A-2B, shown are drawings of examples of a front view and a back view of a head guard insert 10 b according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The head guard insert 10 b comprises a rigid arc-shaped form having an exterior side 12 b and an interior side 14 b. The head guard insert 10 b further comprises a padding material 18 affixed to the interior side 14 b of the head guard insert 10 b.

The head guard insert 10 b shown in FIGS. 2A-2B differs from the head guard insert 10 a of FIGS. 1A and 1B in that the exterior side 12 b of the head guard insert 10 b is substantially smooth and lacks the one or more dimpled patterns 16 protruding from the exterior side 12 a of the head guard insert 10 a as shown in FIG. 1A. As previously discussed, the one or more dimpled patterns 16 protruding from the exterior side 12 a of the head guard insert 10 a are used to disperse energy and provide additional protection from an impact of a moving object. Accordingly, the head guard inserts 10 b of FIGS. 2A-2B may be preferred for use in situations in which the potential impact of the moving object is minimized due to the speed of the moving object. For example, a ball that is batted by a child may have significantly less velocity than a ball that is batted by an adult. Accordingly, the impact of the slower ball will be less than the impact of the faster ball. As such, a youth may not require the additional protection as provided by the one or more dimpled patterns 16 protruding from the exterior side 12 a of the head guard insert 10 a as shown in FIG. 1A.

The head guard insert 10 a, 10 b (hereinafter referred to as “10”) is designed to be inserted into a lining connected to a lower portion of a crown member of a hat (i.e., a sweatband of a baseball hat). In some embodiments, the head guard insert 10 is designed for insertion along a left side of a hat to allow for protection of the left side of a player's head. In other embodiments, the head guard insert 10 is designed for insertion along a right side of the hat to allow for protection of the right side of a player's head. The head guard insert 10 for the left side may be a mirror image of the head guard insert 10 for the right side. The head guard insert 10 may be positioned such that the exterior side 12 a, 12 b (hereinafter referred to as “12”) follows the curvature of the interior of the hat such that the padding material 18 affixed to the interior side 14 a, 14 b (hereinafter referred to as “14”) of the head guard insert 10 may be disposed around the side of the head of a player when the hat is worn by the player.

The arc-length of the head guard insert 10 may vary based upon a size of a hat, a player preference, and/or any other factor. In various embodiments, the arc-length of the head guard insert 10 may vary from about 5¾ inches to about 10½ inches to accommodate for youth sizes, adult sizes, and custom sizes. In one non-limiting example, the head guard insert configured to be inserted into a youth-sized hat may have an arc length of about 5¾ inches. In another non-limiting example, the arc length of a head guard insert 10 for an adult-sized hat may be up to about 8 inches. In another non-limiting example custom-sized head guard insert 10 may be designed to have an arc-length of up to about 10½ inches. The thickness of the head guard insert 10 including the padding material 18 may vary from about ⅛ inch to about ½ inch. However, the thickness of the head guard 10 insert may vary depending on a number of layers of carbon fiber and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide (Kevlar®) composites used. The width of the head guard insert 10 from a top end to a bottom end may extend about 3½ inches. However, the width of the head guard insert 10 may extend from one side end of the head guard insert 10 to the other side end of the head guard insert 10 to provide for additional points of coverage for different parts the head. For example, in one embodiment of the head guard insert 10, the width of the head guard insert may vary such that a portion of head guard insert 10 that is disposed around the front side of the head maybe about 2½ inches, the middle portion of the head guard insert 10 a may be about 3½ inches, and the back portion of the head guard insert 10 may be about 2¾ inches. In another embodiment, the width of the head guard insert 10 may vary from about 3½ inches near the front portion of the head guard insert 10 to about 2½ inches at a back portion of the head guard insert 10. Based at least in part on the size of the manufactured head guard insert, the weight of the head guard insert 10 may vary from about 1.1 ounces to about 3.5 ounces.

The head guard insert 10 may comprise a combination of carbon fibers and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide (Kevlar®) composites. In some embodiments, the material of the head guard insert 10 may further include composites and/or materials such as, for example, fiberglass, fiber-reinforced plastics, thermoplastics, plastics, expanded polystyrene foams, polyurethanes, polymers, and/or any other suitable composite and/or material. The padding material 18 affixed to the interior side 14 of the head guard insert 10 may comprise a high-density polyurethane material (i.e., HyPUR-cel®) and/or any type of sturdy material provides comfort as well as protective capabilities.

The head guard insert 10 may be manufactured by a variety of methods. For example, the head guard insert 10 may be manufactured by heating one or more layers of carbon fibers and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide layers onto a mold to form the appropriate sized head guard insert 10. In other embodiments, the head guard insert 10 may be manufactured by vacuum bagging, injection molding, compression molding, and/or any other suitable form of the manufacture.

The thickness of the head guard insert 10 is dependent upon the amount of carbon fibers and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide. In one non-limiting example, the ratio of carbon fibers to poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide is about 1:3. In another non-limiting example, the ratio of carbon fibers to poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide is about 1:4.

Moving on to FIG. 3, shown is a drawing of an example of the head guard insert 10 a inserted in a hat 20, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the head guard insert 10 a is inserted in the right side of the 20 between a lining 22 connected to the lower portion of the interior side 24 of the crown member of the hat 20. The lower portion of the head guard insert 10 a is placed between the lining 22 and the interior side 24 of the hat 20 such that the padding material 18 of the hat is exposed. Accordingly, when the hat 20 is worn by a player, the padding material 18 will be directly disposed along the curvature of the right side of the player's head. Likewise, the exterior side 12 a of the head guard insert 10 a follows the curvature of the interior portion 24 of the hat 20.

In some embodiments, the head guard insert 10 is secured by the placement within the lining 22 of the hat 20. In other embodiments, the head guard insert 10 may also be secured to the hat 20 by one or more adhesives (not shown) affixed to the head guard insert 10 a. In one non-limiting example, the head guard insert 10 a may comprise one or more adhesives on the exterior side 12 a of the head guard insert 10 a that may be used to further secure the head guard insert 10 a to the hat 20. In other embodiments, the hat 20 may not include a lining 22 for placement, and the head guard insert 10 a may be secured to the hat 20 through the use of the one or more adhesives.

Turning now to FIG. 4, shown is another drawing of an example of the head guard insert 10 b inserted in a hat 20, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the head guard insert 10 a is inserted in the right side of the hat 20 with a lining 22 connected to the lower portion of the interior side 24 of the crown member of the hat 20. The lower portion of the head guard insert 10 b is placed between the lining 22 and the interior side 24 of the hat 20 such that the padding material 18 of the hat is exposed. Accordingly, when the hat 20 is worn by a player, the padding material 18 will be disposed along the curvature of the right side of the player's head. Likewise, the exterior side 12 b of the head guard insert 10 b follows the curvature of the interior portion 24 of the hat 20.

Referring next to FIG. 5, shown is a drawing of an example of one head guard insert 10 inserted into the right side of the hat 20 and another head guard insert 10 inserted into the left side of the hat 20, thereby providing dual sided coverage. Accordingly, if a player desires dual sided protection, a head guard insert 10 for the left side and a head guard insert 10 for the right side may both be used. The head guard insert 10 positioned on the left side of the hat 20 is a mirror image of the head guard insert 10 positioned on the right side of the hat 20.

Moving on to FIG. 6, shown is a flowchart that provides one example of a method for manufacturing the head guard insert 10. It is understood that the flowchart of FIG. 6 provides merely an example of the many different types of functional arrangements that may be employed to implement the operation of the methods as described herein.

At reference numeral 60, dimensions for a particular head guard insert 10 are determined. In one non-limiting example, a head guard insert 10 for a youth may have an arc-length of about 5¾ inches. In another non-limiting example, a head guard inset 10 for an adult may have an arc length of about 8-10 inches. Further, dimensions for a left sided head guard insert 10 may vary from the dimensions for a right sided head guard insert 10. In addition, the head guard insert 10 may comprise the one or more dimpled patterns protruding from the exterior side 12 of the head guard insert 10. Conversely, the exterior side 12 of the head guard insert 10 may be substantially smooth. At reference numeral 62, three-dimensional images are generated to provide exact dimensions and measurements of the head guard insert 10 according to the obtained dimensions. The three-dimensional images may be generated by use of CAD technology and/or any other suitable technology for generating three-dimensional images. At reference numeral 64, a base mold is created based on the three-dimensional images by appropriate machining and tooling. At reference numeral 66, the rigid arch-shaped form of the head guard insert 10 is produced from the base mold. For example, layers of carbon fibers and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide composites may be placed within the mold and heated to form the head guard insert 10. In other embodiments, the head guard insert 10 may be created by vacuum bagging, injection molding, compression molding, and/or any other suitable method of generating the head guard insert 10 from the mold. At reference numeral 68, the padding material 18 is affixed upon interior side of the head guard insert 10.

Although the flowchart of FIG. 6 shows a specific order of execution, it is understood that the order of execution may differ from that which is depicted. For example, the order of execution of two or more steps may be scrambled relative to the order shown. Also, two or more steps shown in succession in FIG. 6 may be executed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Further, in some embodiments, one or more of the blocks shown in FIG. 6 may be skipped or omitted. It is understood that all such variations are within the scope of the present disclosure.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims. 

Therefore, the following is claimed:
 1. A protective head guard insert, comprising: an elongated rigid curved member having a size and a shape to enable placement along an interior side region of a crown portion of a hat, the elongated rigid curved member comprising a concave side and a convex side, and including a combination of carbon fiber and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide composites; and a padding affixed to the concave side of the elongated rigid curved member.
 2. The protective head guard insert of claim 1, wherein a dimpled pattern protrudes outwardly from the convex side of the elongated rigid curved member.
 3. The protective head guard insert of claim 2, wherein the padding is disposed within a recessed portion of the concave side of the elongated rigid curved member that corresponds to the dimpled pattern.
 4. The protective head guard insert of claim 1, wherein a convex side of the elongated rigid curved member is substantially smooth.
 5. The protective head guard insert of claim 1, wherein the elongated rigid curved member comprises a top portion and a bottom portion extending from a first end of the elongated rigid curved member to a second end of the elongated rigid curved member, and wherein the padding is not affixed to the bottom portion of the concave side of the elongated rigid curved member.
 6. The protective head guard insert of claim 5, wherein the bottom portion of the elongated rigid curved member is designed to be placed between a lining connected along a lower edge of the interior side region of the hat.
 7. The protective head guard insert of claim 1, wherein the interior side region is a left side of the hat or a right side of the hat.
 8. The protective head guard insert of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the carbon fiber and the poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide composites is about 1:3.
 9. The protective head guard insert of claim 1, wherein a weight of the protective head guard insert is less than approximately 3.5 ounces.
 10. The protective head guard insert of claim 1, wherein the concave side of the elongated rigid curved member substantially surrounds a side portion of the head of a user when the hat is worn by the user.
 11. A protective head guard insert, comprising: an elongated rigid member having a size and a shape to enable placement within an interior side portion of a hat such that the interior side portion of the hat substantially surrounds a convex side of the elongated rigid member, the elongated rigid member comprising a dimpled pattern protruding outwardly from the convex side of the elongated rigid member; and a padding secured to a concave side of the elongated rigid member.
 12. The protective head guard of claim 11, wherein the elongated rigid member is arc-shaped.
 13. The protective head guard of claim 11, wherein the hat comprises a crown portion and a band, the band being connected to a lower portion of an interior region of the crown portion of the hat, and the elongated rigid member designed to be inserted between the band and the interior region.
 14. The protective head guard of claim 11, wherein the elongated rigid member comprises a material including combination of carbon fiber and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide composites.
 15. The protective head guard of claim 11, wherein energy is dispersed along the dimpled pattern upon an impact of a projectile object to the convex side of the elongated rigid member.
 16. The protective head guard of claim 11, wherein the padding substantially surrounds an outer side portion of the head of a user when the elongated rigid member is positioned within the hat worn by the user.
 17. The protective head guard of claim 11, wherein the padding comprises high density polyurethane.
 18. The protective head guard of claim 11, wherein the convex side of the elongated rigid member comprises a top portion and a bottom portion extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the bottom portion of the rigid member lacks the padding.
 19. An apparatus for protecting a pitcher from a batted ball, the apparatus comprising: a hat; a protective head guard positioned within an interior side region of the hat such that a convex side of the protective head guard is disposed along a curvature of the interior side region of the hat; and a foam material affixed to a concave side of the protective head guard, wherein at least a portion of the protective head guard comprises a combination of carbon fibers and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide composites, and wherein the convex side of the protective head guard comprises a dimpled pattern such that energy is dispersed about the dimpled pattern upon an impact of a moving object.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the protective head guard is positioned along a right side of the hat or a left side of the hat. 